


Finding Friends, Finding Family

by Brynhildr



Series: 40 Days Of Middle Earth [31]
Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Implied Relationships, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-28
Updated: 2018-03-28
Packaged: 2019-04-13 22:01:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 842
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14121747
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Brynhildr/pseuds/Brynhildr
Summary: The first time Bilbo didn't feel like a complete outsider was on the road.In the end, Bilbo gained more than friends. He gained a family.





	Finding Friends, Finding Family

**Author's Note:**

> Another short and cute one tonight. Enjoy!

The first time Bilbo didn't feel like a complete outsider was on the road.

Bilbo had settled himself into his bedroll and sighed as his body finally relaxed after a long day of riding and walking when the ponies got tired. Ori and Bofur were with said ponies now, keeping watch as the rest of their company settled in after dinner. Gandalf and Balin were discussing weather with Thorin, Dwalin and Nori had gone off scouting, Bifur and Bombur were quietly cleaning up after dinner, and Oin, Gloin, and Dori were already snoring. Bilbo looked around but didn't see Fili or Kili anywhere. 

"Looking for something, Master Boggins?" Kili asked in Bilbo's early, loudly enough that the hobbit jumped.

"Don't scare him, Ki," Fili said as he dropped his bedroll on the ground next to Bilbo. "Do you mind if we join you? Thorin is mad at Kili again and we don't want to have to wake up next to his grumpy face."

Bilbo blinked a few times, trying to understand that sentence.

"Why is Thorin mad at Kili?" Bilbo hesitated as he looked between the two brothers.

"I told Bombur that his stew was better than Thorin's," Kili replied with an eye roll.

"Which upset him-"

"Even though it's the truth-"

"And then Kili said that our mother's stew was better than Thorin's-”

"Which is also true-"

"And that Bombur should give cooking lessons," Fili finished.

"And Thorin didn't like that," Bilbo guessed. Two heads nodded. "OK. Just promise me you don't snore as loud as Oin."

They all looked over to the lump that was Oin under a blanket and twitched when he snorted oddly and turned over. His snores were loud enough to wake the dead.

"Right, so besides all the archery and axes, what do you two do for fun?" Bilbo asked as they all settled down.

"Well, Fili different know the meaning of fun, but -"

"Oi!"

"I enjoy wood carving and metal work," Kili began. They ended up speaking later into the night and finally settled to bed when Balin gave them a look across the fire.

.....

"Kili! Put that down or, so help me-"

"What are you going to do?" Kili teased as he juggled two large ceramic mugs above his head in the kitchen.

"I'll tell your uncle!" Bilbo threatened as he advanced on the young dwarf. The rest of the kitchen staff had already cleared the area after Bilbo had sent them a warning look.

"He'll just think it's funny," Fili said from his perch on the cooling table, nibbling on a berry tart.

"I'll tell your mother!" Bilbo retorted and the two dwarves froze. 

"You wouldn't," Kili said as he handed the mugs back to Bilbo gently.

"He would," Fili said as he jumped off the table and bowed his head in a little mock bow. "Bilbo grew wise on our journey, brother. He goes right to the top without hesitating. He knows who holds the power -"

"Oh, stop it, you two," Bilbo said shooing the brothers out of the room. "Go bother Dwalin or Bifur. They might be free now."

"I'm telling them you said that!" Kili exclaimed as he raced down the hall. Bilbo just sighed and returned to his work.

"Are we sure that Kili is actually an adult?" Bilbo asked. Bombur snorted as he mixed a giant vat of beans with tomatoes and spices.

"Just barely," the large dwarf replied. "He's not even reached his first decade since becoming an adult, but most of it is an act, you know? To make Fili look me stable in comparison." Bombur rubbed his chin. "I don't understand nobility all that much, but seeing the heir appear responsible is very important to them for some reason. Makes me glad to be a normal dwarf, to be honest."

Bilbo hummed in thought as he helped Bombur haul a bag of potatoes over to the wash basin.

"I suppose it was the same in the Shire," he said slowly. "Just on a smaller scale. My cousin was the worst trouble maker of us all, but somehow managed to remain respectable enough in the elders' standing that his words are never contested. Or hardly ever. My cousin Lobelia is notorious for snide remarks to nearly everyone."

"Your cousin holds some position of power?" Bombur asked in confusion.

"Hm? Oh, Fortinbras is the Thain." Bilbo replied as he began chopping potatoes and dumping them into a pot. Bombur just looked at Bilbo for several moments, then returned to his potatoes as well.

"I'm glad you came with us and became a part of our company," he said after a moment. 

Bilbo reached up and touched his marriage braid, fingers running gently over Thorin's bead at the end.

"I am too, Bombur," Bilbo replied with a smile. "Now, let's see if we can get this small feast on the table before anyone else comes barging in here and eating all the food before it's ready."

Bombur just smiled and threw another potato to the hobbit to chop.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to everyone who has been commenting! I haven't gotten around to replying yet, but they are greatly appreciated! I enjoy your feedback!
> 
> Another post tomorrow!


End file.
